Walking around the garden on this beautiful Southern California day I noticed that it is cycad flushing season again. While cycads can flush anytime of the year, it is usually during the summer that the majority of my plants flush or cone. When you consider the only major changes you can see in a cycad…
San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society (SDCSS) Winter Show and Sale
On February 8th the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society (SDCSS) had their annual Winter Show and Sale at Balboa Park. Over the last few years my interest in succulents has grown quite extensively, to the point where Aloes and Agaves now take up a big signature in my landscape. Because of my growing interest I…
Yellow Bird of Paradise ‘Mandela’s Gold’
The Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a native of South Africa and is closely related to the banana tree. It is one of the most popular flowering perennials that can be grown in a Mediterranean-type climate. The Yellow Bird of Paradise has been known for a while now and really started to become a…
Nelson Mandela the gardener
Today the world lost one of the most beloved leaders of the 20th century. Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95. I cannot imagine any other person who could spend 27 years in prison (with only one visitor a year and one letter every 6 months) and come out with such faith in human…